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| Behavioral Gerontology: Promoting Engagement in Meaningful Activities |
| Friday, November 30, 2001 |
| 11:00 AM–11:50 AM |
| Tapestry Hall |
| Area: DEV |
| Chair: R. Mark Mathews (University of Kansas) |
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| Behavioral Gerontology: Promoting Engagement in Meaningful Activities |
| Abstract: The conventional wisdom surrounding persons with Alzheimer's Disease is that their behavioral problems are inevitable and will only get worse as the disease progresses. While the behavioral decline of persons with Alzheimer's Disease may be inevitable, a supportive environment may have a significant impact on the rate and nature of that decline. The tutorial will describe a series of evaluative studies on changes in institutional environments to make them more supportive of desired behaviors and measuring the impact of those changes on the behaviors of persons with Alzheimer's Disease who live in residential care. These studies took place in locked dementia care units that were a part of larger residential care facilities. The studies were designed to evaluate (1) the effects of training on certified nursing assistants (CNAs) ability to use the system of least prompts in caregiving interactions with residents, (2) the impact CNA training on contact with residents, praise for desired behaviors, and activity choices by residents, (3) the impact of staff's use of prompts on residents' independence during dressing, (4) the effects of external memory cues on resident ability to locate their own rooms, and (5) the effects of a music therapy intervention on resident participation in group exercise activities. Taken together, these data suggest that staff training and reporting procedures, along with other environmental changes that promote engagement and independence, can have an important positive impact on the behavior persons with dementia living in institutional settings. |
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| R. MARK MATHEWS (University of Kansas) |
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| Banquet Lunch |
| Friday, November 30, 2001 |
| 12:00 PM–1:00 PM |
| Outside Garden |
| Chair: Stephen F. Rafferty (ABAI) |
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| Behind the Scenes: Applied Behavior Analysis in Work Settings |
| Friday, November 30, 2001 |
| 2:00 PM–2:50 PM |
| Tapestry Hall |
| Area: OBM |
| Chair: Judi Komaki (Baruch College, CUNY) |
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| Behind the Scenes: Applied Behavior Analysis in Work Settings |
| Abstract: In 1972, the world of business and industry was proclaimed "practically virgin territory" for the operant conditioning field (Goodall, 1972). Since then, the applied behavior analysis (ABA) approach has been successfully applied in a variety of work settings. Researchers and consultants have:
* Used the principle of positive reinforcement to solve work motivation problems, resulting in the improvement of occupational safety in manufacturing organizations, preventive maintenance of heavy equipment in the military, and quality of service provided in department stores, restaurants, and banks.
* Developed operant-based ways of appraising performance, incorporating such well- established practices as direct and frequent sampling and tests of inter observer agreement. These alternatives to traditional performance appraisal methods (e.g., the trait-based rating scale) have been used to ensure more fair and accurate evaluations. Implications exist for preventing employment discrimination.
* Attempted to identify effective leadership skills to serve as the core for the selection and promotion of supervisory personnel and for training programs in management development. In this tutorial, I will discuss in detail three cases, one about motivation, another dealing with leaders and followers, and the last about performance appraisal. All occur in the workplace -- "unquestionably the major civil rights battleground of the 21st century" (Roberts, 1998, back cover). The cases are drawn from my published and ongoing research. Cutting-edge applications and field-enhancing research directions will be identified. To maximize our time together, participants will be asked to read material ahead of time. An extensive list will be provided. |
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| JUDI KOMAKI (Baruch College, CUNY) |
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| Closing Event |
| Friday, November 30, 2001 |
| 4:00 PM–5:00 PM |
| Tapestry Hall |
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